Various sort of interlinking questions about cots/carseats/pushchairs/moses baskets...

[Inquisitive]

I'm in a tizz about what we need to buy for the baby. (I'm 29 weeks and it suddenly feels like it's getting a bit close!)

We've ordered one of those bedside co-sleeping cots, and we're planning to get a sling. My current feeling is that we'll use the sling until he's old enough to go into a pushchair, and skip out the lie-flat-pram stage - vaguely thinking of a Maclaren Quest. I'm not that keen on all the travel system pram/buggy thingies - just never seen one I like. (I also know I have a tendency to be stubborn and want to do things the way I want to do them... so am aware I/the baby might hate the sling and we'll have to get a lie flat pram then!) So I guess my first question is - am I mad to not get a pram?!

BUT, if we don't have a pram he can lie flat in, what will he sleep in during the day? Do we need a moses basket? (Don't really like them either - bit twee for my taste, but cheaper than a pram!) Or will he just sleep on me/the floor/in his cot upstairs/somewhere else I haven't thought of?

We need to get a car seat, but I don't think he's supposed to sleep in that for too long, is he? If we're not getting a travel system that a car seat can click on to, will we ever take the car seat out of the car?

Sorry for all the questions - as soon as I think I've made a decision on one, I think of three others that that decision affects!

No - not mad to get a pram, though you may want to think about getting a pushchair suitable from birth (I had both pram and sling with DS and the pram was useful for those chundertastic early days when I wanted to be out and about - as I'd have been covered many times in baby vom if he was in the sling!). Something to maybe think about. Am pregnant now with second child - we'll be using pram from DS or sling for baby and pushchair for DS for the first couple of months until we decide what we actually need (.i.e. do we need to invest in 2 seater buggy or will a buggy board work).

Never had a moses basket with DS - though we lived in a ground floor flat in those days and could wheel cot from room to room if need be. DS actually spent first 6 weeks sleeping on me, the sofa, in bed with me, in his pram (but never for v long!) or in his cot (on v rare occassion). DS was a baby who liked to be held/close to warm people.

Car seat - just invest in the best one you can get. Think advice is dont leave baby in it for more than a couple of hours. All newborn plus carriers are ones you can carry out of the car - v handy for getting them in indoors when raining and carrying them back inside if they fall asleep in the car.

I had a travel system with DS and ended up having an emergency cs and couldn't lift the blardy thing in and out of the car. Ended up buying a Mac buggy with a new born head hugger that lies flat. I do love the traditional lie flat prams but ime, as soon as they start getting alert, they like to be forward facing and seeing what is going on and the mac is good in this respect as when they fall asleep, you can lie them down and not worry about their necks.

DS was in a moses basket for his naps during the day and we just carried it upstairs at night

As for a car seat - take a look at www.rearfacing.co.uk (can't do links!) as latest research is saying that rear facing is best for up to FOUR years of age so you may want to splash out on one expensive but safe car seat that can be used for a long time iyswim?

I'd hold off buying pram until your baby is born. He/she might hate it and you might sling your baby until walking. Also, your baby might prefer a pram that faces you, etc.

Got a moses basket from freecycle and that was very useful. Baby could sleep in it downstairs while all the visitors coo-ed around her whilst having tea and biscuits. also useful when we went out to dinner parties (in early days), or stayed overnight at inlaws, serving as a portable cot.

car seat is the only one you really must buy before the baby is born.

good luck with everything!

Slings are great for a while but if your child gets heavy very quickly like mine did they are not ideal all the time. Also my daughter slept the whole time in hers which is fine if you don't go out much or like being awake at night but I fall into neither category!
Maxi-cosi cabriofix is a fantastic seat and I think comes top in the Which? test overall.

Brilliant, thank you for these! (And can I just say chundertastic is my new favourite word ).

Sounds like a cheap/freecycled moses basket might be useful at least - maybe I can do some surgery and take all the frilly bits off .

We're definitely happy to splash out on the car seat - I'm off to have a look at that rearfacing website now.

DS hated being flat in his pram, almost from birth he liked to be able to see what was going on around him. I took him out in a sling until he was old enough to be more upright in a buggy.

As for daytime - when he was tiny DS used to sleep on a beanbag on the lounge floor. As his naps became more distinct, around 3 months old, he went into his cot upstairs.

not all moses baskets are frilly, infact most arent these days!xxxx

Ooh, a beanbag or big cushion sounds like it might work - suppose that's no good once he starts rolling himself off things, but by then he'd presumably be too big for a moses basket anyway?

And maybe a Maclaren that's suitable from birth would be an option - off to check that out as well!

It takes quite an effort to get off a beanbag, even for an adult!

That's true! Although at the moment it's an effort for me to get off anything. I need a winch...

we got a maclaren that is suitable from birth (Four Seasons - basically a Techno with some fun extras). i hate Moses' baskets too - i have only seen frilly ones (we have a rocking cradle for sleeping). Argos has a cute beanbag thing but it is a bit much at £40 i think.
thinking sheepskin on the floor, big cushion, that sort of thing, for hanging out/day napping - until we think of something else.
baby is still in me so we don't know what he thinks of any of this yet. ;)